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San Diego Weighs Tripling Paid Parental Leave For City Employees


Earlier this month, San Diego City Councilmember Raul Campillo submitted a proposal to San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria in which it has been proposed that city employees would get twelve weeks of paid parental leave (or fourteen weeks if there was a complication during delivery.)

This proposal, which would dramatically increase the amount of paid parental leave currently offered to city employees (four weeks as of this writing), seeks to put San Diego city employees in a class of their own.  Notably, California has a state law in place which offers new parents six weeks of partially paid leave and another six weeks of unpaid leave.

Of course, many readers are likely wondering what this twelve weeks of paid parental leave would end up costing.  That is where things might get tricky.  Currently, San Diego’s paid leave program costs the city $1.5 million/year.  Campillo’s proposal would hike that cost to $5 - $6 million/year.  However, Campillo has suggested that offering twelve weeks of paid leave would decrease staff turnover and overtime (thus helping the city recoup some of the additional cost.)

Now to get approved, Mayor Gloria can approve it without the City Council needing to get involved.  However, that would involve Mayor Gloria needing to negotiate with city unions on the proposed twelve weeks of paid leave and the City Council ultimately having to vote on and approve any new labor agreements.  

While this proposal is far from the finish line, it is worth keeping an eye on in the weeks and months ahead.


For additional information:  https://www.kpbs.org/news/local/2022/10/24/san-diego-councilman-proposes-generous-parental-leave-city-employees

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